Automobile-jack



T. E. STEIN-(8..

AUTOMOBILE JACK.

APPLICATION FILED rsa.4, 1918.

Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

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T. E. STEERS.

AUTQMOBHE JACK. APPLICATION mm FEB. 4. 191a.

Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

2 suns-sun 2 [rz aerator. flank/15E Sieers 1 THOMAS E. STEERS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

AUTOMOBILE-JACK.

Specification of Letters Patent Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

Application filed February 4. 1918. Serial No. 215,329.

To ((U ZU/lQ/ib it may com-cm Be it known. that I, Tnoims E. Srnnns, a citizen of the United States residing in the city of Louis and State of lllissouri, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Automobile-Jacks, of which the following is a specification.

lily invention relates to improvements in. automobilejarlts and has for its object to provide a jack which is simple and durable in construction, easily operetedand adjusted, and by its particular construction and arrangement of parts is adapted to overcome certain important practical objects to, and defects in, the usual type of lifting-jack of a similar character.

With the above objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts, as will be described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

deferring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like characters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1, is a side elevation of my im proved jack.

Fig. 2, isa longitudinal sectional view of the jack, clearlyshowing the safety catch pawl and stops and the means for limiting the extreme upward and downward move-v ments of the lifting rack-bar.

Fig. 3, is a top plan view of the jack.

Fig. 1-, is a. horizontal sectional view of the jack. 1

ls l-eferrinp' to the drawings, the reference character n. designates a hollow standard consisting of the front plate 1, having the offset portion 2 to provide a chamber 3, the back plate 4 and the two side plates 5 each having a forwardly projecting portion to completely establish the chamber 3.

A. base-plate 6 having a pair of opposed ears 7 is secured to the lower end of the hollow standard A by means of the pin 8 supported by the side plates 5 and the ears 7 of the base-plate. The pin 7 further acts as a stop as will be apparent hereinafter.

A lifting rack-bar 9 having the head 10 is movably supported within the standard A and the upper end thereof passesthrough the upper open end 11 of the hollow standard A. The lower end of the lifting rackbar 9 is provided with a head 12 wider in diameter than the rack-bar proper to provide a working or sliding lit between the head 10 and the hollow standard A, to prevent the rack-bar becomin displaced during its up and down movements or at any other time. 'ihe extreme lower end of the head 12, of the rack-bar 9, is provided with an inverted f-shaped recess 13 adapted to straddle and rest upon the pin 7 when the rackbar 9 is in its lowermost position. The lower head 12 of the rack-bar 9 further acts as a stop to prevent upward lifting movement of the rack'bar as will be apparent hereinafter.

1 1 designates a transverse operating shaft passing through the chamber 3 of the hollow standard 9, and is supported at each end in the side plates 5 of the hollow standard. A pinion 15 is suitably fixed to the shaft 1 1 and carried within the chamber 3S0 that the teeth thereof may mesh with the teeth of the lifting rack-bar 9. The shaft 14 is provided near one end with the square shoulder portion 16 adapted to receive a suitable ratchet-wheel 17.

T he shaft 1% upon one side of the square shoulder 16 is adapted to pass through an opening 18, in the arm 19, of the bifurcated operating lever 20. The arm 19 is adapted to lie between the ratchet-wheel 17 and one of the side plates 5 of the hollow standard. The other arm 21 adapted to complete the bifurcate end of the operating lever 20, is removable, and is held in position. by means of suitable. fastening means22. The inner end of the removable arm 21 is preferably beveled as at 23 and adapted to be received in a correspondingly shaped recess 24 formed one side of the operating lever 20.

A suitable pawl member 25 having the ratchet wheel enga hea d 26 and the manually operated handle 27 is pivotally supported as at 28 between the arms 19 and 21 of the operating lever 20 and just to the front ofthe ratchet-wheel 17 so that the head 26 thereof will engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. A. suitable coiled spring 29 is interposed between the handle 27 of the pawl 25 and the upper face of the operating lever 20 so as to normally hold the head 26 of the pawl in engagement with the ratchet-wheel 17. as is manifest.

The means to prevent the lifting-rackbar 9 from slipping back during its lifting movement or under load comprises a safety-catch consisting of a pawl member 30 having the rack tooth engaging arm 31 and the manu ally operated handle 32 pivotally supported as at 33, in the opening 34L, of the off-set wall portion 2 of the front plate 1. The tooth engaging arm 31 is positioned wholly within the chamber 4:, while the operating handle 32 extends forwardly and downwardly from the front plate 1. A suitable stop in the form of a cross-pin 34 is arranged between the pinion 15 and the rack-tooth engaging arm 31 and supported'at its ends in the side plates 5 to prevent extreme downward movement of the arm 31 when supporting a load. The inclined wall portion of the offset portion of the front plate 2 acts as a stop to limit the upward movement of the racktooth engaging arm 31.

The operation of the jack is as follows:

When the lifting rack-bar 9 is in the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, and it is desired to place the same under the axle of a vehicle to lift the same, the operator must first adjust the rack-bar by pressing downward upon the operating handle 32 of the pawl member 30 so as to disengage the rack-tooth engaging arm 31 from engagement with the teeth of the rackbar 9, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2; At the same time the operator must also press downwardly upon the operating handle 27 of the safety-catch pawl member 25 to disengage the head 26 thereof from en gagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 17, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to

permit the ratchet to turn without engaging the head 26. As these two operations are being performed, the lifting rack-bar 9 may be pushed downward to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, or any intermediate elevation, or may be pulled upward to any desired elevation and it will then be ready to be placed in position under a vehicle for raising the same, aS is manifest. To raise the rack-bar 9, the operator merely pushes down upon the operating lever 20 which imparts a turning movement to the ratchetwheel 17, the shaft 14: and the pinion 15 which in turn raises the rack-bar 9 and which is held from falling or sliding back by means of the rack-tooth engaging arm 31. The dotted lines in Fig. 2 shows the two eX- treme movements of the rack tooth engaging arm 31.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that by pressing down upon both operating handles 27 and 32 at the same time that the rack-bar may be easily and quickly adjusted to the desired elevation.

The advantages of a jack constructed along the lines herein described and illustrated in the drawings will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

What I claim is:

In combination with a lifting jack provided with a rack toothed lifting bar and a rotatable pinion in mesh therewith, a shaft for said pinion, a hollow standard for receiving the lifting bar and pinion, an offset housing formed integral with the standard having an inclined upper wall to form an upper safety catch pawl stop, a safety catch pawl pivotally supported within the offset housing of the standard and provided with a handle extending outwardly from the offset housing, a cross pin passing through the offset housing to act as a lower safety catch pawl stop, a two piece bifurcated operating lever loosely connected to said shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed to said shaft, and a pawl pivotally connected to said bifurcated operating lever for engagement with said ratchet wheel for imparting rotary movement to said ratchet to raise the lifting bar.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to the specification.

THOMAS E. STEERS.

Witnesses:

CHAs. B. HoLMns, J. A. SHANK. 

